Vietnam focuses on coastal eco-system, mangrove forest protection

The safeguard of coastal eco-system and mangrove forest in the Mekong Delta region will be given a push as phase two of the Integrated Coastal Management Programme (ICMP) recently kicked off in An Giang province.

The ICMP, built with a total budget of 8.8 million EUR (US$9.7 million) sourced from the German, Australian, and Vietnamese Governments, will be carried out during 2015-2018 in An Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Soc Trang provinces. It aims to efficiently manage and protect coastal ecosystems in the Mekong Delta region to mitigate and adapt to environmental hazards related to climate change.

According to ICMP Director Nguyen Van Son, the ICMP phase two will focus on evaluating climate change impacts on the Mekong Delta region and piloting charging forest environment fees among fish farms in Ca Mau province.

Technical and economic norms, mangrove tree planting techniques, building regulations on protective forest management as well as improvements in the cultivation of rice, fish and shrimp will be introduced through the programme.

The project will give support to the large-scale rice field programme and rice cultivation in response to climate change while coordinating with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) in applying information and technology to manage rice cultivation.

In addition, it builds strategies and aquaculture investment plans in the region as well as accelerate aquaculture production in mangrove areas and construction of wave-breaks in Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau province.

Son, who is also Vice Director of the forest project management board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, underscored that the ICMP will work with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Blue Solution to build a water management process and an inter-provincial irrigational system in Long Xuyen quadrangle.

During the framework of the programme, representatives joined a field trip to study the rice-shrimp transformation model in Phu Thuan commune, Thoai Son district, An Giang province.